PRESS RELEASE: International Women’s Sports Film Festival Unveils Full Film Lineup and Program Spotlighting Athletes
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Billie Jean King documentary, Brittney Griner feature, Reggae Girlz story of Jamaican women’s soccer national team, and panels with game-changing athletes headline inaugural festival
PORTLAND, Ore. (April 8, 2026) — Today, the International Women’s Sports Film Festival (IWSFF) unveiled its full film lineup and athlete-elevating programming for its debut May 1–3 at The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts. Prior to the main three-day event, the festival is hosting a screening and coach panel event on Saturday, April 11, at the Winningstad Theatre. Tickets for all four festival days are now available for purchase.
The first-of-its-kind festival is dedicated entirely to elevating the stories of women and nonbinary athletes through film. Inspired by an idea from sports industry veteran Kate Delhagen, festival founders Jenny Nguyen of The Sports Bra, Molly King of QDoc, and Kimiko Matsuda of The Idea Factory designed the festival to elevate underrepresented stories and build a lasting platform for the rapidly growing women’s sports movement. Through this official, inaugural lineup, IWSFF is bringing that vision to life with a dynamic schedule of screenings, live conversations, and cultural moments that center athletes’ stories on the big screen.
“Across the IWSFF program, sport becomes a lens into something larger,” said Molly King, festival co-founder and lead film programmer. “Identity, resilience, and the courage to shape what comes next,”
Kimiko Matsuda, festival co-founder and community connector, added, “It starts here in Portland with voices we’re proud to elevate and a clear call to keep the conversation moving forward.”
The festival features a powerful mix of nonfiction documentaries, shorts, and narrative features, alongside in-person appearances and panel discussions with world-class athletes, filmmakers, and industry voices, including appearances pre- and post-film screenings by:
- Kyra Buckley - OPB Business Reporter
- Stephanie Case - Professional ultrarunner, human rights lawyer
- Trish Dalton - Emmy-nominated director
- Allyson J. Davis - Executive producer
- Diane & Ashley Dezura - Olympian mother-daughter duo
- Paul Dreisbach - Petrichor co-founder
- Melissa Forman - Director, producer, editor
- Meghan Klingenburg - FIFA World Cup champion, former Portland Thorns captain and defender
- Joe Kuffer - Director
- Lacey Henderson - Paralympian, broadcaster, and mental performance coach
- Janice C. Molinari - Director, producer, editor
- Chris Mosier - Trans athlete, author, activist
- Anne Peterson - AP sports reporter
- Melanie Strong - Founding partner of Next Ventures
Additional programming includes a spotlight conversation with Soccer City favorite Meghan Klingenburg, former Portland Thorns captain. The Fest will also offer opportunities for community engagement and live storytelling experiences that connect sport and culture.
Information about The Fest can be found at IWSFF.org. The full program of films and events can be found on the ticket sales page.